McGrady last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name McGrady is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McGrady.

Meaning of McGrady

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Gráda, meaning "son of Gráda" (Gráda meaning "noble" or "illustrious").

McGrady, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McGrady surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGrady in America

McGrady is the 8611th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGrady surname appeared 3,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McGrady.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGrady to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8611 7983 7.57%
Count 3,819 3,841 -0.57%
Proportion per 100k 1.29 1.42 -9.59%

The history of the last name McGrady

The surname McGrady is of Irish origin, with roots stretching back to the 12th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname Mac Grádaigh, which translates to "son of the gracious one." This name is believed to have originated in County Donegal, a region in the northwest of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a man named Gilla Críst Mac Grádaigh, who was a notable figure in the year 1188.

The McGrady surname has a long and storied history in Ireland, with several notable bearers throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, Cormac Og McGrady was a renowned bard and poet who composed works in the traditional Irish literary style.

During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a man named Turlough McGrady played a significant role as a captain in the Irish Confederate forces. He fought against the English and Scottish armies during this tumultuous period of Irish history.

In the 18th century, a prominent McGrady was Patrick McGrady, born in County Tyrone in 1718. He was a influential Catholic landowner and played a vital role in the local community.

Another notable bearer of the name was John McGrady, born in County Armagh in 1825. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated generously to various charitable causes in his lifetime.

The McGrady surname has also been found in various locations throughout Ireland, with slight variations in spelling. For instance, the name has appeared as MacGrady, Megrady, and McGraddy in historical records from different regions.

While the name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration. However, the rich history and origins of the McGrady surname can be traced back to the Emerald Isle and the proud Gaelic heritage of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGrady

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McGrady.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McGrady was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 83.06% 3,172
Non-Hispanic Black Only 12.86% 491
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.34% 13
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.42% 16
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.60% 61
Hispanic Origin 1.73% 66

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McGrady has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 83.06% 84.25% -1.42%
Black 12.86% 12.55% 2.44%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.34% 0.21% 47.27%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.42% 0.89% -71.76%
Two or More Races 1.60% 1.20% 28.57%
Hispanic 1.73% 0.91% 62.12%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McGrady was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McGrady, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"McGrady last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcgrady-surname-popularity/.

"McGrady last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcgrady-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

McGrady last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcgrady-surname-popularity/.

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